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A Jamaica Plain man and his Roxbury passenger were held on $5,000 cash bail Feb. 24 for allegedly driving at a Boston Police officer during a motor vehicle stop the previous evening, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley said in a release.
Pedro Santana, 21, and Kelvin Soto, 25, his passenger, were arraigned in Roxbury District Court on charges of armed assault to murder. As the operator of the 1998 Honda Accord, Santana was additionally charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
According to the release, Boston Police stopped Santana’s vehicle for allegedly failing to stop at a stop sign. When asked, Santana presented what appeared to be a Puerto Rico driver’s license printed on cardboard, which the officers believed to be counterfeit.
When asked to exit the vehicle, Santana allegedly shifted the car into drive and accelerated toward an officer who was standing in front of his car. As the other two officers tried to reach into the car to stop Santana, he allegedly struck one car in front of him, shifted into reverse, and crashed into the officers’ marked cruiser, the release stated. Three officers were injured during the effort to gain control of the vehicle from the operator.
“This situation had the potential for grievous injuries or worse,” Conley said. “The officers showed tremendous restraint even as they risked their own safety.”
The injured officers were taken to Brigham and Women’s hospital for evaluation and treatment.
Santana and Soto will return to court on March 15.
From press materials.